Construction to begin on archery range

HAMILTON COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) - The Hamilton County Parks Department
will soon begin construction of their $750 thousand archery facility.

The archery range will be built in the Strawtown Koteewi Park near SR 37 and Strawtown Highway.

Parks director Al Patterson says the new facility will offer something for everyone, from the beginner archer to expert archer.

"The interest for this facility has been amazing," said Patterson.

The facility will include:

A 90 meter range with 64 shooting stations.

A 30 meter range with 30 shooting stations.

A classroom for safety and education instruction.

A pro shop where you can buy or rent equipment.

A 3D outdoor shooting course.

The
state of the art facility will meet the necessary requirements to hold
national events. The Parks Department plans to put in a bid to host the
2016 US Olympic Archery Trials.

The facility will be managed by Girts Archery, a family owned archery store in Anderson, Indiana.

Owner Tony Girt says archery has become very popular in Central Indiana especially among women and children.

"It
never hurts to get Hollywood involved with movies like Brave and Hunger
Games. I've seen a lot of females come out and want to try it after the
Hunger Games movie" said Girt.

Federal grant money will cover the majority of the costs for the facility.

The
US Fish and WIldlife Service is providing $536 thousand dollars. The
funds come from the excise tax from the sales of guns and ammunition.
The Hamilton County Parks Department will cover the remaining costs.